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‘It was all of us’: Usman Khawaja drops bombshell on Australia's 2018 ball-tampering scandal

Former Australia batter Usman Khawaja has made recent revelations concerning the notorious 2018 ball-tampering scandal, claiming that discussions about altering the ball have been way more widespread inside the workforce than Cricket Australia's investigation established.

In excerpts from his upcoming autobiography printed by the Sydney Morning Herald on Saturday, Khawaja alleged that conversations about ball-tampering occurred brazenly throughout Australia's 2018 tour of South Africa. He claimed gamers mentioned alternative ways of roughing up the ball, together with utilizing sandpaper, in what he described as "open, lighthearted discussions".

The previous top-order batter additional advised that the conversations weren’t restricted to a selected group inside the dressing room, insisting that gamers throughout totally different departments and assist workers have been conscious of them.

"It was all of us," Khawaja mentioned within the ebook, in line with the newspaper.

The revelations have raised recent questions concerning the findings of Cricket Australia's investigation into the scandal, which erupted throughout the third Take a look at towards South Africa in Cape City in March 2018.

The controversy, extensively referred to as 'Sandpapergate', triggered one of many largest integrity crises in Australian cricket after gamers have been caught utilizing sandpaper to tamper with the ball. Cricket Australia's investigation on the time concluded that prior information of the plan was restricted to a few gamers: Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft.

Khawaja, who featured in 88 Exams for Australia, was cleared of any wrongdoing throughout the investigation. He introduced his retirement from worldwide cricket in January.

Cricket Australia stands by 2018 investigation

Responding to the newest claims, Cricket Australia defended its investigation and maintained that its findings remained legitimate.

"All related data introduced to CA thus far has been correctly thought-about and we stay comfy with the findings of our integrity course of," the governing physique mentioned in a press release on Saturday.

It additionally careworn that there had at all times been a possibility for people to supply extra data.

"There was the continuing alternative to current any related data, and this stays the case," it added.

Following the 2018 investigation, Cricket Australia handed taking part in bans and different penalties to Smith, Warner and Bancroft. Head coach Darren Lehmann was cleared of direct involvement however stepped down shortly after the collection.

Cummins had performed down risk of recent fallout

Australia captain Pat Cummins, who was a part of the bowling assault within the notorious Cape City Take a look at, had earlier performed down solutions that Khawaja's autobiography might reignite the controversy or result in additional penalties when it was launched.

South Africa received the four-match Take a look at collection in 2018 by a 3-1 margin.

Australia's Take a look at workforce returned to South Africa final month for the primary time for the reason that Sandpapergate controversy however suffered one other collection defeat, shedding the three-match contest 2-1.

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